Munich Security Conference discusses troops in Afghanistan

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-09-2009 09:03

Sunday was the third day of this year's Munich Security Conference in Germany. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung, and US National Security Advisor James Jones were among those attending a plenary session about the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.

In this photo provided by the Munich Security Conference MSC, German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones, from left, are seen during the International Conference on Security Policy, at a hotel in Munich, southern Germany, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Munich Security  Conference MSC, Sebastian Zwez)

Sunday's session of the Munich Security Conference came after NATO had criticized Germany and France for refusing to commit more troops to Afghanistan.

The two European powers skirted the issue on Saturday while agreeing that Washington should not be left to fight international conflicts alone.

Germany says it has already committed as many troops as it can to Afghanistan.

Franz Josef Jung, German Defense Minister, said, "The request for more German soldiers was not brought up. It was recognized that we have recently increased the maximum deployment allowed to 4,500 soldiers. We also already provide, with our jets, the complete air reconnaissance for Afghanistan, and 50 percent of the air transport. All of this is recognized."

The French parliament voted in September to keep 3,300 French troops in the Afghan theatre. But it has no current plans to increase the French contingent.

US Vice President Joe Biden was expected to forcefully repeat US calls for greater European troop deployments in Afghanistan, as Washington prepares to double American troops there to roughly 60-thousand.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei